We all have our stories, life lessons, some good, others not. Yet as the stars would have it, these experiences offer a light to our future endeavors, choices and decisions. The struggle is how do we choose healthy paths…

I love the saying “Today’s terror is to tomorrows testimony”. Reminds me there is hope in every hard lesson, and mistakes aren’t the end of life as we know it. The value in bad encounters is totally ‘the takeaway’ and perspective and direction.

I’ll be approaching a birthday milestone this year, wow – yes, so I’ve put some thought into my own journey and how I’ve landed here – right now. Ooh, much to ponder when the big 60 is heading straight for you, but that will be another post, a different day. For now, I feel gratitude just to still be here, alive and well. But life is hard at times and the struggle is real, so all the shortcuts are precious

11 Truths Life Has Taught Me

1. Family. The foundation of who we are is influenced by our family. Family provides the framework for our sense of security, confidence, and usually our deepest beliefs. Having people who love you unconditionally is a true blessing, a huge plus in life and nothing compares to this kind of support system and head start. No family is without problems, but neither is any relationship. Family is family, no matter what happens, this is what makes family work.

2. Balance. A little bit of this and that will suffice. Define healthy boundaries for yourself and don’t compromise. Learn to say NO. People who know me respect my boundaries and I theirs. It has become a natural process to have boundaries and limit my negotiations. It’s normal and okay.

3. Grace. Easy to recognize – difficult to explain, because grace has many meanings not so popular in today’s culture. It’s dwells in beauty, eloquence, mercy, charm, kindness, harmony, and divine love. Grace is the authentic original blessing of being alive, the gift of life from God that integrates body, mind and spirit. Every encounter confronts and challenges our limitations of grace.

4. Confidence is a strong voice silent or out loud! Believe in yourself – become your greatest fan. And by all means possible, speak up for what you know your worth, trust me – no one else will do it for you. Learn the difference between confidence and over assertiveness and you’ll attract opportunity and friends. Confidence is a beautiful thing, looks great on all.

5. Passion inspires others to rise up, become excited or at least attract attention and energy. I always figured if you need to do something, give it 100% of the best you and everything else will fall into place. Passion is contagious, fueled by fire and magnetic. It’s easy and it matters.

6. Prayers- wow! Before your feet hit the floor pray. I believe in praying specifically for what I need – so I ask. When I look back on my life and see all the grace I’ve experienced it magnifies answered prayers. In my career years, I flew an average of 350 segments yearly sometimes more, and I survived in one piece. That’s literally a miracle in itself! Knowing there is a God that’s so much bigger than this world makes my faith in prayers a priority.

7. Sunscreen! If I could’ve told my younger self something worthwhile it would’ve been SUNSCREEN PLEASE. The thing is I live in this skin and I took it for granted. Growing up on the beach maintaining a golden tan was just natural, even competitive. How crazy is that reasoning🙃? So now, I get it and I know how important wearing sunscreen is to overall health. Take care of your skin and slather on that sunscreen even on cloudy days.

8. Music rocks. Living in a world without music is unimaginable to me. When I hear certain songs -memories come. Nothing brings me back to a memory as profoundly as a song. Music makes my life better and influences my moods. All kinds of music…

9. Friends are treasures, little blessings sent your way from up above, at least the true friends. I’m not referring to social media friends that you never see or spend actual time doing things together. I’m referring here to friends that are invested in your life, relationships that have withstood the test of time. During my career years and when my sons were young I sacrificed time with girlfriends for family time. Sometimes I got friends confused with work colleagues (as we live we learn). Life just gets busy and there’s only one of us, and that’s okay. There is still time. It’s amazing how fast relationships can build and mature.

10. Nature☀️. For me, the beach is essential, the mountains are extraordinary and being outside is just necessary. I thrive on sunshine and fresh air, not to mention the natural beauty of outdoors. There is nothing as satisfying as watching nature pass through the seasons.

11. Dogs are family. A big deal in our home. The more the merrier! They simply bring joy. Dogs have always been present in my life, horses and cats too. We have 3 Pomeranians and 3 Aussies now, each one diverse in personality and loved deeply. Want more happiness in your life – get a dog!

Life is packed with exciting options and opportunities. There is so much more I could add, but for now we will stop here. I hope you make the time to think about what’s really important to you.

Until then, happy trails

Donna George